Owensboro

Owensboro is a city in Kentucky and the seat of Daviess County. The first European settler arrived in 1797, and, in 1817, the area was named for Colonel Abraham Owen. In August 1864, during the American Civil War, Owensboro was raided by Confederate guerrillas. On 14 August 1936, Owensboro was the site of the last public hanging in the United States, where a carnival atmosphere was created as vendors sold hot dogs, reporters and townspeople (including children) watched in large numbers, and viewers tore at the criminal's clothes and body to take souvenirs; the humiliating event led to the end of public hangings in the country. In 2018, Owensboro had a population of 58,809 people.